PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

EPYC 7573X

2022

Why buy it

✅+500% larger total L3 cache (768 MB vs 128 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (69,432 vs 70,177).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 100.4 PassMark/$ ($5,590 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌64.7% higher power demand at 280W vs 170W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 9950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,891 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $5,590 MSRP).
✅Delivers 708.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 100.4 vs 12.4 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $5,590 MSRP).
✅Draws 170W instead of 280W, a 110W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (128 MB vs 768 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7573X, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7573X

2022

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

2025

Why buy it

✅+500% larger total L3 cache (768 MB vs 128 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅433.3% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $4,891 less on MSRP ($699 MSRP vs $5,590 MSRP).
✅Delivers 708.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 100.4 vs 12.4 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $5,590 MSRP).
✅Draws 170W instead of 280W, a 110W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (69,432 vs 70,177).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.4 vs 100.4 PassMark/$ ($5,590 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌64.7% higher power demand at 280W vs 170W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 9950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (128 MB vs 768 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7573X, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9950X3D better than EPYC 7573X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7573X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.6% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 9950X3D is $4,891 cheaper on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $5,590 MSRP, and it gives you a 18.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 708.3% better value on MSRP (100.4 vs 12.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of SP3, more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 32/64, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

EPYC 7573X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 9950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
1080p
low	205 FPS	300 FPS
medium	167 FPS	274 FPS
high	136 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	163 FPS	276 FPS
medium	127 FPS	228 FPS
high	100 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	190 FPS
medium	61 FPS	156 FPS
high	48 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	106 FPS

Open EPYC 7573X Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
1080p
low	463 FPS	722 FPS
medium	407 FPS	615 FPS
high	329 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	381 FPS	591 FPS
medium	343 FPS	524 FPS
high	286 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	319 FPS
4K
low	234 FPS	332 FPS
medium	215 FPS	299 FPS
high	180 FPS	262 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	224 FPS

Open EPYC 7573X Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
1080p
low	865 FPS	893 FPS
medium	717 FPS	725 FPS
high	668 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	590 FPS	560 FPS
1440p
low	622 FPS	720 FPS
medium	514 FPS	585 FPS
high	472 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	412 FPS	437 FPS
4K
low	444 FPS	516 FPS
medium	345 FPS	431 FPS
high	308 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	322 FPS

Open EPYC 7573X Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
1080p
low	992 FPS	1116 FPS
medium	900 FPS	1001 FPS
high	775 FPS	878 FPS
ultra	671 FPS	792 FPS
1440p
low	767 FPS	872 FPS
medium	668 FPS	766 FPS
high	572 FPS	673 FPS
ultra	492 FPS	584 FPS
4K
low	550 FPS	637 FPS
medium	490 FPS	566 FPS
high	430 FPS	503 FPS
ultra	372 FPS	435 FPS

Open EPYC 7573X Open Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7573X and Ryzen 9 9950X3D

EPYC 7573X

The EPYC 7573X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2022-03-01. It is based on the Milan-X (2022) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 768 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 69,432 points. Launch price was $5,590.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Ridge (2024−2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 70,177 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Processing Power

The EPYC 7573X packs 32 cores / 64 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7573X has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the EPYC 7573X versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D — a 45.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (base: 2.8 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The EPYC 7573X uses the Milan-X (2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D uses Granite Ridge (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7573X scores 69,432 against the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's 70,177 — a 1.1% lead for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D. L3 cache: 768 MB (total) on the EPYC 7573X vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D.

Feature	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Cores / Threads	32 / 64+100%	16 / 32
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	5.7 GHz+58%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	4.3 GHz+54%
L3 Cache	768 MB (total)+500%	128 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Milan-X (2022)	Granite Ridge (2024−2025)
PassMark	69,432	70,177+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	44,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,398
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	22,206

🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7573X uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 3200 on the EPYC 7573X versus DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D — the EPYC 7573X supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7573X supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 192 GB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (EPYC 7573X) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 9950X3D). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 7573X) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 9950X3D) — the EPYC 7573X offers 104 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP3 (EPYC 7573X) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650 (Ryzen 9 9950X3D).

Feature	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Socket	SP3	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	3200+63900%	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	4096	192 GB+4915100%
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	128+433%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 9950X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 9950X3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (EPYC 7573X) vs true (Ryzen 9 9950X3D). The Ryzen 9 9950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (2 Cores)), while the EPYC 7573X requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: EPYC 7573X rivals Xeon Platinum 8280; Ryzen 9 9950X3D rivals Core Ultra 9 285K.

Feature	EPYC 7573X	Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	Radeon Graphics (2 Cores)
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true

💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 7573X launched at $5590 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D debuted at $699. On MSRP ($5590 vs $699), the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is $4891 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 7573X delivers 12.4 pts/$ vs 100.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D — making the Ryzen 9 9950X3D the 156% better value option.